POLI 355: Political Philosophy: Plato to Machiavelli provides an overview of classical political thinking about the best life for humankind and the best ways to live together as a community in which members share similar aspirations. The course is divided into two parts; seven units form Part 1 and six units make up Part 2. Part 1 addresses the main similarities and differences in the political ideas of Plato and Aristotle, and forms two-thirds of the course content. These thinkers, arguably, have been the most intellectually significant as well as the most influential philosophical thinkers then or since. Part 2 discusses a handful of philosophers who embroidered in interesting ways on some of the earlier ideas about politics.
Outline
Political Science 355: Political Philosophy: Plato to Machiavelli comprises thirteen units in two parts, as outlined below.
Part 1: Perspectives on Political Philosophy
Unit 1: Perennial Questions and Political Philosophy
Unit 2: Plato on Philosophical Inquiry and the Good
Unit 3: Plato on Education
Unit 4: Plato on Decay and Corruption
Unit 5: Aristotle on Human Association and Happiness
Unit 6: Aristotle's Typology of Constitutions
Unit 7: Aristotle on Education, the Ideal State and Revolution
Part 2: Medieval to Modern Political Philosophy
Unit 8: St. Augustine
Unit 9: Hildegard of Bingen
Unit 10: St. Thomas Aquinas
Unit 11: Machiavelli on the Sources of Political Power
Unit 12: Machiavelli on Successful Political Leadership
Unit 13: Conclusion: Changing Answers to Perennial Questions
Evaluation
To receive credit for POLI 355, you must achieve a mark of at least 60 per cent on the final examination and obtain a course composite grade of D (50 percent) or better. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1
15%
Assignment 2
20%
Assignment 3
25%
Final Exam
40%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Aquinas, Thomas. St. Thomas Aquinas on Politics and Ethics. Trans. and Ed. Paul E. Sigmund. New York: Norton, 1988. (Print)
Aristotle. The Politics and The Constitution of Athens. Ed. Stephen Everson. Cambridge: Cambridge, 1996. (Print)
Arnhart, Larry. Political Questions: Political Philosophy from Plato to Pinker, 4th ed. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press, 2016. (Print)
Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. Trans. Tim Parks. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. (Print)
Plato. Republic. Trans. Robin Waterfield. Oxford: Oxford, 1993. (Print)
Other materials
The course materials also include a study guide, student manual, and a reading file.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the POLI 355 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the online examination.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.